Sr Alison Munro spoke at the regional seminar of Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church held in Nairobi, Kenya in August 2012. The seminar examined different aspects of the apostolic exhortation Africae Munus which was promulgated by Pope Benedict XVI in Benin, West Africa in November 2011. Various speakers and respondents examined the themes of JUSTICE, PEACE and RECONCILIATION, which are the challenges facing the Church in Africa. Sr. Alison reflected on the violence against women and children which contributes to the spread of HIV and AIDS.

The Dominican Sisters of Oakford congratulate Vanessa Janse van Rensburg, principal of St. Catherine's School in Empangeni, South Africa, for receiving the Business Acheivers Award for her region in Zululand. Rensburg, who took over for Elisabeth Johanson in January 2011, says she has experienced as much personal growth as she has for the school since she took on the role. Read more about her in the article below.

Sr. Dominic Bonnici, who works at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Walnut Creek, California, prepares people to enter the Church through RCIA. Read the story about one of her latest participants, Wendy Jara (pictured right), in the Catholic Voice Article below:

They came. They saw. And they conquered the hearts of the people of Hlabisa. They were a group of 18 Homeplan members, who spent the week of 26 March to 1 April in remote villages around Hlabisa, staying in huts with local families, and assisting in building houses for orphan-headed households, which they are sponsoring.

Based in the Dutch city of Breda, Homeplan is an association of professional people, mostly in the construction and engineering sectors, who sponsor houses for the poorest of the poor in developing countries. A partnership between Homeplan and SACBC AIDS Office was formed in 2010. In the initial pilot project, caregivers identified households with orphans most in need. Local builders were used to construct two-room houses. Ten were built around Ndumo, and another 10 around Kosi Bay (both in the Vicariate of Ingwavuma, Northern KwaZulu/Natal). The pilot was so successful that the program has been expanded – in the current phase, 30 houses have been earmarked for Hlabisa, 20 for Ndumo and 20 for Swaziland.

Vicar General, Dr. Karl Hillenbrand, welcomed Sister Dagmar Fasel on 15 March 2012 to the Diocese of Würzburg with a beautiful bouqet of flowers (left). Sr. Dagmar will serve as the new Secretary and Coordinator of the Sexual Violence Prevention Agency for the Diocese. Congratulations, Sr. Dagmar!